The Theater Department of Ohio University's Eastern Campus will present an evening of short plays entitled "Playworkx: one-night-only!" on Thursday, May 31 at 7 p.m. in the Shannon Hall Theater.

All seats are priced at $4 for this one-night-only performance. "Playworkx: one-night-only!" consists of two one-act plays. The first play, "The Tree House," is written by Ohio University Eastern Campus student, Benjamin Destefano. It is directed by Destefano and fellow student Van Wilson.

"The Tree House" is a dark comedy about being stuck in limbo between adolescence and adulthood. It explores the innocence of children and the rationalization of adults through the eyes of rebellion and teenage angst. Hugo, played by Van Wilson, is a lovable aspiring artist. Abbot, played by DeStefano, is an artist torn between music and literature. Caleb, played by Ray Unterzuber, is an organized college professor ruled by self-doubt.

These three men are in their 20s and living in a tree house. They are confronted by the arrival of three 20-something women: Demi, played by Ana Luttrell, is an eccentric painter; Meryl, played by Laura Dahlem, is an insecure English student; and Helen, played by Olivia Hagood, is a confident defense attorney. The characters are often witty and comical amidst fearful discoveries about themselves and the world in which they live.

The second play of the evening is Eugene Ionesco's comedy, "The Bald Soprano." First performed in 1950, it became one of the first major works of the "theatre of the absurd" movement. Described by the playwright as an "anti-play," "The Bald Soprano" uses farcical humor to illustrate the deficiencies of language as a means of communication. It became one of the longest running plays in the history of the Theatre de la Huchette in Paris.

The cast of "The Bald Soprano" consists of: Benjamin De Stefano of Bellaire, as Mrs. Smith; Laura Dahlem of Wintersville as Mr. Smith; Ana Luttrell of St. Clairsville as Mary, the maid; Raymond Unterzuber of St. Clairsville as Mrs. Martin; Olivia Hagood of Steubenville as Mr. Martin; Van Wilson of Barnesville as the Fire Chief, and Roberta Norman of Martins Ferry as the Clock. The production is directed by Dennis Fox.